LGBT advocates have repeatedly urged the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to lift the stay preventing a definitive ruling in the Prop. 8 trial — and Palm Springs resident Ed Watson is no exception. Like so many gay couples, Ed and his partner Derence want desperately to see an end to the trial so they can marry in a legal ceremony and celebrate their union. But in Watson’s case, a prolonged decision – even one in favor of same-sex marriage – may be too little too late.
In a letter addressed to members of the Courage Campaign, a grassroots network working for statewide equality and progressive reform, Watson reveals that he is 78 years old and suffers from the degenerative effects of Alzheimer’s disease. He fears he will lose the ability to recognize his partner of over 40 years by the time the 9th Circuit allows them to marry, and asks readers to co-sign a letter petitioning the court to lift the stay on a ruling while the California Supreme Court, as he puts it, “drags its feet.”
The California Supreme Court recently denied a motion to speed up the Prop. 8 trial, opting instead to take their summer recess and come back to the issue in approximately 6 months.
“I can’t afford that,” Watson states, “and Derence deserves better.”
In conclusion, Watson writes that, “if the California Supreme Court is going to take its time, then we deserve the dignity of marriage…before I can’t remember what marriage is.”
Watch the video of Ed Watson and Derence below, and visit the Courage Campaign website to add your signature to their petition.
